The Republican journal., 1887-12-01
Rule of the Road.

Rule of the Road.
AN INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS PROPOSED FOR
| IMPROVING SIGNALS AT SEA. HOW The
USEFULNESS OF THE LIFE SAVING SERVICE
| MAY BE INCREASED.
Among the desiderata of the times is ma
| rine signal to diminish the chances of collision
by indicating the course being steered by vessels
during fogS. 1t Is particularly important be-
cause Of the large passenger traffic by steani-
ships, which have increased enormously in
size and speed al. well as numbers of late years.
The London Board of Trade has recently issued
| the following cauton:-
The Board Of Trade desires to call the after
tion- of shipowners and shipmastcrs to the
wording of article 10 of the regulations for
preventing collisions at sea 3:
| ARTICLE 49, Ittaking any course authorized
| or required by these regulations a steamship
under way may indicate that course to any
ship which she has in sight by the following
signals on her steam whistle. VIZ
One short blast to mean. 81 am directing my
course to starboard.' Two. short blasts to
mean, Il am directing my coursento port"
| Three short blasts to mean. 81 am going full
| speed aStern.'
| The use OF these signals is optional. but if
| II
accordance with the signal made.
| BY which 1t will be seen that these signals
were never intended to be used during fog. but
only in cases in which steamship has another
| vessel in sight.
| This case shows the great iniprudcnce and
danger Of altering the course Of vessel to
avoid another vessel which is not il sight and
whose position 1t is impossible correctly to
| determine.
The Maritime Register well says; This
| ...4st I,ln ttln
| necessity of adopting at the earliest possible
moment a system OF signaliing-the simpler
the hetter-that will indicate the position of
vessels moving through fog
INADEQUACY OF THE PRESENT INrEHNATIoN-
AL CODE.
The present code of signals l. exceedingly
| crude. One blast of the steam whistle signifies
an intention 10 pas, to the right and two to the
| left For fogs and thick weather there is pro-
| vided only one signal. n prolonged blast at in
| tervals of not over two minutes.
| This is clearly inadequate. Imagine Il steam
| ship at sea breastirg strong northerly gale,
| the air Opaque with driving snow which deadene
| every sound but the noise of the waves and the
howiiug of the wind through the rigging. The
| shriiie>t shrek of the whistle could Hot be
| heard by vessel half mile distant coming
| down before lie gale directly in the steamers
course Assuming that the united speed OF
| the two ships is thirty miles iii hour, two min-
!
| tween them and bring them together.
| But even IL heard the sound would indicate
| only the presence of the steamer without giving
| any intimation of her direction. 1t would be Il
manifest improvement if she were required to
| make some prearranged signal which would
plainly announce to all within hearing not
| merely her ncarncss but how she is steering.
| Such signal must be so simple and 30 readily
| understood that its exact significance may be
instantly Ineligible to the comprehension Of
l 4
to confuse and nislead at the instant when
| prompt and decisive action may be necessary to
| avert a collision.
| BY the recognized "rule of the road at sea-
the steamer must be kept out Of the way of the
! sailing vessels. Should any be near they would
! gladly aid her IN this duty by giving her a wide
berth On hearing her signal. But they can only
| conjecture III what direction she is heading. IL
| is pure guess on their part. The officer on the
| bridge of the steamer has slight advantage if
| he happens to hear the signal of the sailing YES
sci, for recognizing by her fo@horE that a sail
| ing vessel is near he can judge from the di!ec
| ton Of the wind. if there be any. something OF
| her movements. If there is no wind he is H.
much befogged as the skipper of the ship which
| lies helpless. it may be directly in The steamers
| path.
| The law provides that vessels under sail in
| thick weather shall soun'l the fog horn once on
the starboard tack, twice if on the port tack and
| give three blasts if san. with the wind abart
|
| to seaman hearing it quite nearly how she
| was heading but the three blasts would only
serve to confound. 1t is the only signal pre-
| vided by the present regulations for fifteen
points, or nearly half the entire compass. 1t
| covers points almost diametrica!y opposite,
| and Judgment as to its intent III an cmergcn cy
might be lar as from the truth as the east Is
| from the west.
| PROPOSITION FOR AN INTERNATIONAL con
FERENCE.
A committee of practical men has been ap-
pointed by the Maritime Exchange to consider
the subject and devise remedy. Upon their
| recommendation 1t Is proposed to ask the Pres
ident of the United States to request all mari
| time nations to unite in a conference upon this
and other matters affecting the commerce of
| the world.
The plan is to be commended as the best
| practical course. The ocean. covering three
fourths of the globe. is a neutral region free to
all. Each ship upon it is governed only by the
| laws of the country whose flag she carries. All
| international conference such as is proposed
| could hardly fail to result in the adoption o.
| kindred laws and regulations for the security
of life and property at sea. and would tend to
| bring closer together the nations of the earth.
| There are many important matters other than
the ''rule of the road,' which the proposed
congress might act upon for the common good.
Among these are the called ''nternatonal
code" of the signals. Circumstances have
changed materially since they were adopted by
| Great Rritain i'm 1876 Steam wos then II, its
| infancy and tbn twcntv.Lnnt .tnamor vos - M ~,
| known. A reorran~en,ent is n.rassary 10 in
| snre ceIeritv in commuuir,tpv Mn ..nco,n
| greyhounds:, of To-day mectino at s,, l,vn
Scarcely time to make auI answer si,rn,l. hn-
| fore thnv are out nf syu,l;n,r J;stonnn .,.,or,,
The flaos msed shoulJ Also hn ,imnit;eI ~ ,,rn.
| vent their hrin~ misre,I whirh Is Lnna a. 10
| have ocr.sion to note ol,nost j.iI, Noran,,ar
| the coLe ren,,;ros tho .,;,ion ~ ,nanv ,,n',
~ranhical names IN cnmmnm ,,na tn.,~ ~, H.
known thirty years ago.
NANAA AiD' ~ LIE MHNohANl MAXINE
Naval aids to the merchant service is another
| important matter for consideration. Our GOV
| ern'nent has adopted the wise policy of employ
ing its naval officers in time of peace for the
benefit of the commercial marine Branch ny
geographic offices, located at the maritime cX-
| changes of leading seapOrts, freely give to
masters of vessels and other inquirers the lat
est information IN possession of the govern
ment concerning foreign waters, lights. dam
gers to Davigation, sc. Men-of-war and rev
| vessels during the stormy season. They are
also ready to search for and destroy any wreck
or obstruction to navigation deemed ESPECIALLY
| dangerous. Ii other nations would do the same
it would be for the benefit of our vessels trad
ing with foreign ports.
| THE IIrr c.,-,~c ,vu,,,c,,
|
| The same remark applies to our life saving
| service We have probably the most efficient
service in the world. and vet lives have been
hs.t nf nii srstoms ,Hero .nta '!lu